Electric driven cream separator



Dec. 2,'1941is. M. ANDERSON ELECTRIC DRIVEN CREAM SEPARATOR Filed larch 25, 1939 .z r 5 Z w j y/ A I F W F, M a MN g 3 3% \SE ,N/ 2 NM M M g 5 V I I H 1 z w ll 2y? 3 i 9 o I M. 1 1 R 1 a 7 0 Q, 1

Patented Dec. 2, 1941' UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE ELECTRIC SEPARATOR I Sanford M. Anderson, Renwick, Iowa Application March 25, 1939, Serial l lo. 264,162

1 Claim.

This invention relates to improvements in centrifugal separators and particularly to devices for separating cream from milkl The object of my invention is to provide a simple, durable and inexpensive cream separator employing an electric motor for imparting power to operate the separator bowl, and in connection therewith improved means for mounting the motor in a suitable supporting frame in such a manner that the separator bowl may be directly connected to the motor shaft, wherein the vibrations that are set up as the bowl is rotated at a very rapid speed are cushioned.

A further object of my invention is to provide in an electric separator of the tyne above described, improved means for mounting and cushioning the motor in the supporting frame, wherein the armature of the motor which is directly connected to the vertically arranged motor shaft and the. motor fields are supported in fixed relation to each other as far as lateral movement of the shaft relative to the field is concerned, thereby providing means whereby any vibration imparted to the motor shaft will also be imparted to the motor itself, so that the distance between the armature of the motor and a given point on the field pieces may be maintained constant. I

A further object of my invention is to provide improved means for supporting the cushioning means in the separator standard whereby the motor may be easily and quickly removed or placed in position.

A further object of my invention is to provide in an electric driven cream separator a. motor constructed and designed to operate on a voltage lower than the normal line voltage of the house lighting circuits, and in connection therewith, means for maintaining the voltage on the motor at which it is designed to be operated, whereby any voltage variation on the line may be compensated for without affecting the speed of the motor, inasmuch as in order to efliciently separate cream from milk it is necessary that the supporting bowl be operated constantly at a predetermined speed.

My invention consists in the construction, arrangement and combination of the various parts of the device, whereby the objects contemplated rator showing a portion of the bowl in section tric wiring for the motor.

Figure 3 is a'detail sectional view of a modified form of my device.

I have used the reference numeral ID to indicate the base of a separator having leg members II and a top portion 12. One side of the top I2 is provided with an upwardly extending standard I! and a centrally disposed and depending bearing member 14, the bearing member It being provided th a vertically arranged shaft l5 having suppor d on its upper end a cup 16 in which is mounted a cup-shaped rubber cushion I! for receiving the bearing housing l8 of the lower' end of the vertically arranged motor IS.

The upper bearing member 20 on the motor is also provided with an annular cushion 2| formed of rubber or other yieldable material and supported by means of an annular'frame member 22, having a web portion 23 carried by a frame member 24 secured to the standard l3. The upper end of the standard I3 is provided with a frame member 25 for supporting the housing 26 for the separator bowl, said housing having a bottom 21 the central portion of which is provided withan upwardly extending conical portion 28 surrounding the frame member 22 and projecting upwardly into the lower end of the bowl 29 which is of substantially ordinary construction, the bowl 29 being carried by a bearing 30 detachably supported on the upper end of the motor shaft 3| in the ordinary manner. By this arrangement it will be seen that the upper end of the bearing 20 of the motor is supported within the lower end of the bowl 29 in such a manner that the shaft 3| is comparatively short and so that the center of gravity of the bowl 29 is near said bearing 20.

The shaft 15 is adjustably supported in the bearing It by means of a set screw threaded portion 32 so that the motor l9, together with the rubber cushion 2| may be lowered relative to the bearing I8, so that the motor may be first detached from the cushion l1 and afterwards 10wered from the frame 22, after whi h the lower end of the motor may be swung aterally permitting the shaft 3| to be withdrawn through the said frame member 22. A lock nut 33 is provided for locking the shaft IS in position after the motor has been placed in operative position, as illustrated in Figure 1 of the drawing.

As before stated, it is desirable to so design the motor, or at least provide one that is capable of operating on a voltage lower than the normal line voltage of a house lighting system, which is usually maintained at 110 volts A. C. I have, therefore, provided a resistance 34 in the conductor 35 leading from one of the conductors 30 of the line to the series wound motor is, whereby the voltage between the motor and said line may be dropped. I have also provided across the terminals of the motor I! a volt meter 31 whereby the operator may ascertain when the motor is operating on the desired voltage. The variable resistance 34 may bemanually controlled or automatically controlled by means of a suitable governor, as may be desired,-wherein the motor may be operated on the constant voltage regardless of any variation in the voltage on the line. This is a particularly desirable feature inasmuch as my cream separator that is designed for farm use is to be operated on lighting systems which are oftentimes a considerable distance from the main high lines in which voltage fluctuation is quite common and wherein it is difficult oftentimes to maintain the proper voltage on the lighting system due to weather conditions, such as rains or sleet.

' proper speed of the motor and the supportin bowl may be maintained even if the supp y of 7 line voltage should vary from time to time.

Thus it will be seen I have provided an elec- I trically operated cream separator which is very simple in its construction wherein all of the gear mechanism usually provided in small hand-' operated cream separators is eliminated in which only one rotating element is provided foroperating the separating bowl and which is ofitself directly connected to said shaft. I am well aware that certain types of centrifugal separators have been provided with the motor armature supported directly on the separator shaft. In some instances the lower end of the shaft is iixed against lateral movement while the upper end of the shaft is supported in yieldable bearings to permit lateral movement of the shaft to over: come the shock of the unbalanced bowl. In this particular type of separator the armature moves toward and from'the field pieces; thus tending to increase the tendency of the bowl to move out of balance due to upsetting the magnetic bal ance between the field pieces and' the armature,

In Figure 3 I have illustrated a modified form of my device wherein the motor is entirely insulated f-rorn'th'e separator frame, bowl and bowl housing, against shock to, the operator from the electric current from the motor, by providing a fiber cap 38 on the upper end of the shaft 3|, said cap being so arranged as to transmit power from the shaft to the bowl, and at the same time provide an insulator. A rubber gasket 39 is also provided between the shaft 3! andthe bowl 28 to cushion the bowl against being too rigidly connected to the shaft, and at the same time provide an insulator. Means is thus provided whereby the operatoris protected against electrical shock in case the motor develops a short circuit orgroundj Figure 3 further illustrates the bearing member 22 having inclined walls to receive a conical cushion device to wherein the cushion 40 may.

be tightened in case it shrinks or becomes worn by use, the bearing being tightened by simply which is usually maintained in a properly designed motor, asit will readily be seen that as the armature is moved towards the pole piece in one direction,.the magnetic field on that side of the armature is increased, while the magnetic -fleld on the opposite side is decreased, thus tending to throw the armature out of balance rather than to maintain it in a balanced condition. This objection is overcome in my construction wherein the entire motor is supported in cushions, the lower end of the bearing member l8 also being supported on a cushion to carry the weight of the motor and also the weight of adjusting the cup it by rotating the same and the screw threaded portion "which is threaded in the lower end of the portion ll, the nut 33 serving to lock the cup l6 against rotation when proper adjustment has been made. I claim as my invention: i A cream separator frame, comprising an upright frame portion having a horizontal top member and a horizontally arranged bearing support spaced belcwsaid top member, said top member having an opening for receiving the upper end of a vertically arranged motor, the upper walls of said opening being inclined upwardly and inwardly forsurrounding the upper end of the motor, and terminating in an upwardly extending conical portion for receiving a tapered annular cushion thereimadapted to receive the conical upper end of the hub portion of said motor, a cup-like cushion adapted to support the lower hub portion of said motor, means carried by the said lower bearing support of said frame for adjustably supporting said cup-like cushion, and means for adjusting said supporting means vertically wherein the upper hub portion of said motor will be firmly supported within said tapering cushion, whereby any shrinkage of the said upper cushion may be taken up by moving the motor upwardly by said adjusting means.

I SANFORD M. ANDERSON. 

